Microsoft Visio is a software application that allows users to create diagrams with vector images. These images, known as 'stencils,' are representative of various components within a system. Among the many types of diagrams that Visio can create is the sequence diagram. This diagram shows the flow of communication between two parties. Time in the sequence diagram is represented by vertical lines that descend beneath each object. Messages are then shown flowing between them. Creating a sequence diagram in Visio is a straight forward process.
Step 1
Click on "File" and then on "New."
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Step 2
Point the mouse cursor to "Software and Database." Click on "UML Model (UIS Units)."
Step 3
Click on the "UML Sequence" template, located in the "Shapes" menu.
Step 4
Click on the "Object" stencil, located in the list of shapes that opens under the "Shapes" menu. Hold the click and drag the stencil into the work area.
Step 5
Click on the "Object" stencil again and drag a second stencil into the work area.
Step 6
Click on the first stencil and delete "Object 1" from the dialog box that opens. Click inside the box and type "Patient." Click on "OK."
Step 7
Click on the second stencil and delete "Object 2" from the dialog box that opens. Click inside the box and type "System." Click on "OK."
Step 8
Click on the "Activation Bar" Stencil and drag it onto the vertical line that descends below "Patient." Release the mouse click when the Activation Bar becomes red.
Step 9
Click on the "Activation Bar" stencil and drag it onto the vertical line that descends below "System." Release the mouse click when the Activation Bar becomes red.
Step 10
Click on the "Message" Stencil and drag it into the work space. Click on the arrow's "head" and drag it to the Activation Bar that is attached to "System." Click on its "tail" and drag it to the Activation Bar that is attached to "Patient."
Step 11
Click on the horizontal message arrow that is now connected to both "Object" and "System" and drag it as close to the top of the stencils as possible.
Step 12
Click on the "Message" Stencil and drag it into the work space. Click on the arrow's "head" and drag it to the Activation Bar that is attached to "Object." Click on its "tail" and drag it to the Activation Bar that is attached to "System."
Step 13
Click on the horizontal message arrow that you just created and drag it so that it is below the first message.
Step 14
Click on the higher of the two messages. Delete "Message1" from the dialog box that opens and type "To System." Click on "OK."
Step 15
Click on the lower of the two messages. Delete "Message2" from the dialog box that opens and type "To Patient." Click on "OK."
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